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Tuesday, 23 July 2013

There is no such thing as a great talent without great will power. Honore De
Balzac

I believe that Kudzai Sevenzo has been blessed with both, great will power and
great talent! I have had the amazing privilege of working alongside the sensational singer and actress
Kudzai Sevenzo, as a flautist in her band and I must say, it has been one of
the best experiences I have ever had. Working with Kudzi was always
interesting, challenging and a lot of fun, and being a part of her band was one
of the highlights of my life.

I decided to do a Skype interview with Kudzai Sevenzo, a
one-on-one with her, touch base and see the plans she has in the future. For
those of you who do not know Kudzi, she is a Zimbabwean singer and actress who
has played an important role in the local and international music, film and art
scene, through composing, singing, writing and acting. The result is a
determined woman producing musical and artistic wonders, driven by a strong will power and character, great singing talent and a well harmonized voice backed by rich afro-jazz sounds and fusions of a talented band. The
captivating singer/songwriter and actress discovered her talent at an early age
and began participating in singing contests and talent shows then. Since then,
she has grown tremendously in her career.

Talking to Kudzi was an ideal interview experience, an enjoyable one, and one I
will remember for time to come.Me (Q): When was your first desire to become involved in music & from whom
have you have learned the most secrets about music?Kudzi (K) I loved music since I was in creche, I just always loved singing. I have had
great mentors in my life such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Ringo Madlingozi, I look up
to Judith Sephuma and my producer Andrew Baird, played a huge role in my development as a singer.

(Q):
How/where do you get inspiration for your songs & what do you think is the
main characteristic of your personality that made you a songwriter?(K) I am inspired by my own experiences, as well as those of others close to me.

(Q):
Which has been the best moment of your career and which was the worst?(K) Best career moment is always on stage, I have had many. Worst I haven’t had
yet.

(Q):
What are you thinking when you are on stage, how would you describe your
contact with your audience when you are on stage? What compliment do you
appreciate the most after a performance?(K) I sing like it’s my last performance. Like I’ll never sing again. So I give it
my absolute all. It’s a real gift to be able to do what you love, and I can
never take an opportunity to sing for granted.

(Q):
Who are some of your role models and why?(K) I am weary of putting any human being on a pedestal, because, inevitably there
will be disappointment. So I see different qualities in different people that I
admire and I celebrate that. God is the only constant really, He is consistent.

(Q):
Who is the one artist you would want to do a duo with?(K) Ringo Madlingozi

(Q):
What other Zimbabwean musicians do you admire? Rest of Africa and
Internationally?(K) ASA from Nigeria
Angelique Kidjo
And Sade (yes I am a bit biased towards women)

(Q): You
are actively involved in a number of community development projects. Would you
like to mention a few, why you are passionate about these and if you have some
upcoming community events?(K) I am brand ambassador to PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN FOUNDATION that has done extensive
clean up campaigns across the city called Bin-It, eliminating litter and
instilling a sense of ownership of infrastructure in local communities. Its
YOUR STREET, so keep it clean. We realised that litter was a mindset issue. So
we are fighting against litter in towns across the nation.

(Q): How
has been your experience with your acting career?(K) Fantastic. My first movie Playing warriors, earned me an AMAA nomination, which
was great encouragement for me.

(Q): How
would you compare acting to singing?(K) Acting is HARDER. It requires much more of you. Singing is second more second
nature. But they somehow compliment each other, because its all performance.

(Q): Is
there one you enjoy more than the other?(K) I love a challenge, so I have my eyes on Acting right now, but Singing will
always be my first love.

(Q):What do you enjoy most about your career?(K) It’s versatility. I am a singer, songwriter, radio and tv presenter, voice over
artist as well as an actress. It’s exciting how many dimensions I can explore
of entertainment.

(Q):You
recently traveled to Denmark. What did this experience mean to you?(K) It was my first date with a European audience, and I was so well received, it
was special. It started a bit of a domino effect, will be in Switzerland in
September again, so am really excited and looking forward to it.

(Q):Where do you see yourself in the next five years?(K) Happy with an adoring hubby, happy babies and a healthy furry dog.

(Q):How
do you cope with all the success, demanding career and fame? Does it ever get
stressful?(K) I just try to live my life the best way I know how. I am a private person who
happens to be a public figure because of the career I chose. When it’s time to
work, I work. When it’s time to shut out and enjoy time with loved ones and
family alone, I do just that. Life is too short to waste getting too caught up
in what people think about you, because chances are: they aren’t thinking about
you. Lol!

(Q):What do you think has kept you grounded as an artist?(K) Relationship with God, Anchors like my family, close friends and spiritual
mentors in my life.

(Q):What role has your family played in your career?(K) They are honest with me. That’s important to have people you are accountable
to.

(Q):Why
do you feel it’s important to be a role model?(K) Not everybody chooses to be a role model. But once you are, you have an
obligation to your fans and the people that look up to you. You try to make a
positive impact.

Onto
something much more light-hearted :-)

(Q):What can you not travel without?(K) WET WIPES, LIP BALM AND MOISTURISER

(Q):What is the weirdest fan experience you have had?(K) Signing someone’s boxers after a concert(he was wearing them)

(Q):How
long does it take you to get ready for an event or a show?(K) An hour on a good day

(Q):What do you do when you have some time off?(K) I spend the day in my pyjamas and read a good book

(Q): What message do you have for African girls pursuing their dreams?(K) You CAN do it! You don’t need a sugar daddy to finance you. Build your dreams,
go to school, work hard, you can do it! When you are empowered, you will make
the right choices in life and in love.

(Q):What can your fans look forward to in the next coming months?(K) Some great performances. A new single.

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About Me

Tadziripa Madzima-Bosha (also known as Tadzie in short) has over 12 years experience in the advertising, marketing
and communications industries. In the past she has served in senior roles such
Creative Director, Studio Manager and Senior Art Director for advertising
agencies in Zimbabwe and Tanzania namely Gary Thompson and Associates, Visual
Point Creative Group, Africa Advertising and M2 Advertising Agency. Currently Tadzie
leads the Marketing and Communications for the Africa region for Reach for
Change - an international non-profit organisation which runs accelerators,
incubators, innovation competitions and hubs for social entrepreneurs and
start-ups in 17 countries globally. Tadzie oversees the marketing and
communications for 7 countries in Africa namely Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC,
Chad, Senegal and Ethiopia. Tadzie is also a
marketing coach who has trained over 50 social entrepreneurs in the Reach for
Change incubator with communications and marketing skills such as branding,
marketing strategy development and digital communications.

Tadzie
has vast
experience in strategizing and executing various CSR communications
campaigns in partnership with corporate organizations such as telecoms,
banks and media companies namely Tigo/Millicom, entertainment broadcasting
group Modern Times Group (MTG), Exim Bank Tanzania,
Kavli Trust and IKEA Foundation, just to mention a few. In her work with Reach for Change, she has
also worked on strategizing and executing non-profit communications campaigns
for organizations such as UNICEF, EU and British Council. Tadzie is also the
Founder of Brand@Heart, a
consultancy that provides start-ups with marketing, branding, campaign
strategy, pitching and public speaking skills. She is an amazing knowledge hub
on how to develop effective social good communications campaigns for corporate
companies and non-profit organizations andis a brilliant dynamic communicator.